The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is organising a three-day orientation programme at New Delhi from September 25 – 27, 2012 for policy makers from different cities of India and South Asia. The objective of this forum is to promote good regulatory practices in air quality management, clean vehicle technology, fuels and management of in-use fleet and mobility management. Managing urban air quality is turning out to be a serious governance challenge in cities. More than half of Indian cities are reeling under serious particulate pollution.

The Clean Air and sustainable mobility programme of the Centre for Science and Environment organised the Sri Lanka Country Workshop on Air Quality and Environmentally Sustainable Transport along with the Air Resource Management Centre (Air MAC), Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Transport in Colombo.

Dhaka and Delhi met to discuss natural gas vehicle programme -- a unique opportunity for a clean up in the region where the mainstream technology of diesel and petrol are languishing. CSE-DOE event enthused all for a more robust CNG strategy for cleaner air.

Hell broke lose when the environment minister Jairam Ramesh called SUVs criminal for guzzling cheap subsidized diesel. He is right -- The real beneficiaries of the diesel subsidy are the owners of "BMWs, Benz and Hondas'', and not the farmers. He pitched for reforms in diesel prices; penalty on those who use subsidized diesel for luxury use in SUVs.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has done an independent assessment of the fuel adulteration problem in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and the National Capital Region (NCR) following a direction from the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) under the Supreme Court order dated November 22, 2001.

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is organising a three-day orientation programme on Managing Urban Air Quality: Focus on Clean Vehicle Technology, Fuels and Mobility Management in New Delhi from August 6 - 8, 2014 for government officials from different cities of India. The objective of this forum is to promote good regulatory practices in air quality management, clean vehicle technology, fuels and management of in-use vehicle fleet and mobility management.

Reports

On April 1, 2001, there was mayhem in Delhi. Not many buses were plying on the roads as the Supreme Court ruling on moving the entire public transport fleet to
CNG, came into effect. Unfortunately this had not been complied with. Without diluting the original order the Supreme Court only allowed a conditional extension of the deadline till September 30, 2001. Download report...

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has done an independent assessment of the fuel adulteration problem in the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and the National Capital Region (NCR) following a direction from the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) under the Supreme Court order dated November 22, 2001.

Factsheets

With a large number of Indian cities embarking on natural gas vehicle programme it is essential that the elements of these programmes are well defined for maximum environmental and public health gains. It is important that the lessons are drawn from the well established programmes in the region to chart the future course.

The CNG programme in Delhi provides the immediate bridge for transitioning to hydrogen in India. In a major initiative to bridge the gap between hydrogen and CNG, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited commissioned a hydrogen-compressed natural gas (H-CNG/hythane) dispensing station at Dwarka in January.

We discovered this by sheer chance, buried in the website of the Union Ministry of Shipping Road Transport and Highways. This is a public notice soliciting public opinion on the unfinished agenda of the emissions standards roadmap finalised way back in 2003.

Campaign Outreach

Hell broke lose when the environment minister Jairam Ramesh called SUVs criminal for guzzling cheap subsidized diesel. He is right -- The real beneficiaries of the diesel subsidy are the owners of "BMWs, Benz and Hondas'', and not the farmers. He pitched for reforms in diesel prices; penalty on those who use subsidized diesel for luxury use in SUVs.

Work Overview

Vehicles are a special problem as they emit in the breathing zone of people. A large number of studies are now available that show exposure to vehicle exhaust causes significant increase in respiratory symptoms and lung function impairment, cancer and plethora of other ailments.

Down To Earth

State authorities send notices to 103 mines
Odisha's department of steel and mines has slapped a fine of Rs 67,900 crore on companies operating 103 mines in the Koira and Joda mining circles of Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts, respectively for mining more mineral than permitted.

Sets condition of compensatory payment to resume operations
The Supreme Court allowed operations in 63 out of 72 category B mines in Bellary, Chitradurga and Tumkur in Karnataka, subject to conditions.